Tell us about yourself and your background
I used to be a drummer, pounding out rhythms like I was auditioning for Whiplash. Then, in 2013, I had my “light bulb above the head” moment and discovered that people would actually pay for specialized information. So, I traded my drumsticks for a keyboard and started writing newsletters—because apparently, selling words beats lugging a drum kit around.
What is it that you currently do?
I run a paid newsletter for business folks who geek out over sales, persuasion, and psychology—basically, the Jedi arts of getting people to say “yes.” I also throw in some dating advice and human-interest stories, because, hey, even Machiavelli needed a little romance now and then.
What is copywriting & why do you need it?
Copywriting is salesmanship in print. Its power comes from the ability to write one message that speaks directly to each reader while selling to thousands – or even millions – at the same time. One well-crafted sales page, email, or ad can close more deals in a day than a team of salespeople can in a month. How important is it? It depends. It depends on how important you think sales are to a business.
What are your top tips for great copywriting?
First off, let’s nail down what “great copywriting” actually means. Here’s the deal: great copywriting is any piece of sales copy that rakes in a great amount of sales. That’s it. End of story. The scoreboard is sales! No participation trophies for clever wordplay or fancy metaphors. If it doesn’t sell, it’s not good copy.
Tips for great copywriting.
Understand this:
Just like normal selling, effective copywriting comes down to the following:
Having the right message to the right person at the right time. Get those ducks lined up and you’ll do well.
Conversely, you could have the best copywriter in the world write your sales copy, but if it doesn’t get the right people to read it – all is lost.
What I’m saying is this: having a strong offer targeted at the right audience is the most critical part of successful copywriting. Nail that, and even a beginner copywriter can deliver solid results.
What strategies do you use to build your list?
My lead generation strategy involves driving targeted traffic to my website’s homepage, where I offer my target audience a very generous gift package as an incentive to join my free newsletter. I also do some outbound marketing on LinkedIn and Twitter to attract more leads.
What are the top 5 subject lines you have used in your email marketing?
Before I give you my best-performing email subject lines, know this:
While they are important, they are not nearly as important as writing great emails. A good subject line will get subscribers to open your email, but well-written emails will get your subscribers to keep opening them.
Here are my top-performing subject lines:
*How to lose friends and infuriate people
*How’s your chick-through rate?
*Warning: this email contains psychological nudity
*Premature AD-jaculation
*You probably don’t care, but…
If you want your email open rates to be like Post Malone on his birthday – absurdly high!…. then always adhere to the cardinal rule of marketing:
Appeal to People’s Emotions,
Not Their Intellect!
I’m telling you, writing subject lines that appeal to your subscribers’ logical minds is a losing strategy. It’s weak, ineffective, and not going to connect!
Kinda like being punched by a midget
Okay, below are 3 proven elements you’d be wise to use in your subject lines.
(1) Taunting curiosity
(2) A lip-smackingly-good benefit to the reader.
(3) Human interest (Drama)
Without said three elements, your emails will be like a Jehovah’s Witness at your front door – your subscribers will see them, but they won’t open!
How do you balance the need to provide valuable content with the need to sell in your email copy?
That’s a good question. Well, if you’re going to pitch in every single email you send (like I do), you’d better offer some value—and do it in an entertaining way. If people enjoy reading your emails, you’d be surprised at what you can get away with. I never get complaints about sending too many emails (sometimes I send two a day). In fact, I’ve had subscribers complain when I miss a day.
What tips would you give to someone who wants to increase their sales from email marketing?
Increase your lead generation—always have fresh people to sell to.
- Add some new upsells.
- Offer discounts. Tip: Raise your prices by 30%. This gives you a good buffer to offer generous discounts, like 50% off.
- Run limited-time sales.
- Increase your email follow-up.
- Offer incentives to current customers to share your products.
- Sweeten your offers by throwing in some bonuses.
- Write better emails. (I know it is easier said than done.)
Do you have a successful example you can share?
Like I said, I run a paid newsletter. It’s not exactly a bargain—way pricier than your average streaming service – but somehow, I’ve managed to get a retention rate that’s actually better than most in my industry. But you know what really feels good? When subscribers hit you up to say how much you’ve helped them.
Take this one subscriber – he was struggling to write sales bullets for his page. I showed him how to make them more persuasive, and bam – his sales doubled. Another one was a pastor whose newsletter was basically the digital version of tumbleweeds. He started following my advice, and now his newsletter’s a hit.
What metrics do you use to measure the success of your email campaigns?
One word: sales!
Sales are the ultimate metric that matters. At the end of the business day, no matter how good your open rates or click-through rates are, if those clicks aren’t translating into actual sales, you’re not winning.
Oversimplified answer?
Probably.
How do you stay up to date with the latest industry trends?
Hmm, if I’m being brutally honest, I’m probably not up to date. I like to do things my way. At the same time, you can believe me that I’m keeping a close eye on AI and its impact on my industry.
Where can readers find out more about you?
Here:
